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2. Target of Vipassana meditation
Vipassana is an insight into the true nature of things; seeing things as they are. The path that leads to this insight or realization is awareness or mindfulness. It is exclusively found in no other religion rather than Buddhism. In this meditation, four objects are considered for concentration of mind: body, feelings, thoughts and mental states. Vipassana practice is to use these four objects for the development of concentration, mindfulness and insight or understanding of yourself and the world around you.
It offers the most simple, direct and effective method for training the mind to meet daily tasks and problems and to achieve the highest aim: liberation.
It is safe for all types of characters and a harmless way to train the mind. You can use this method anywhere at anytime, in a busy office or in the quiet of a peaceful night.
The task is to develop awareness or mindfulness. Awareness is paying bare attention to an object. This means you simply observe an object without judging it or thinking about it. Awareness is simply observing of giving close attention without making any judgement of thinking
Target of Vipassana meditation:To achieve insight, so that you can understand the real nature of anything. Physical and mental healing is merely a byproduct of this meditation.
a) People who think they are sufferers because of relational problems with friends, family, colleagues and society;
b) People who want to purify themselves and want to start new lives;
c) People who want to heal their migraine and similar diseases
d) People with mental problems like aggressiveness, lack of confidence, phobia and other stuffs.
Remember one thing! If you are not a sufferer, if you don’t want a change, you will not realize the purpose of this meditation. This meditation will give you insight, the cause of suffering will be revealed and mind will be peaceful ever since. If you want to do meditation only for supernatural purposes, Vipassana meditation cannot help you to achieve this. You will need other meditations that build up super concentration. Please follow the link for details: Key to supernatural powers :Samatha meditation
The five most important requisites for a meditator who wants to practice Vipassana meditation for the achievement of supreme bliss are as follows:
a) A qualified teacher
b) A firm determination
c) Good discipline
d) Real honesty
e) Persistent diligence
a) A qualified instructor:
A qualified instructor is a person who has himself practiced Vipassana meditation thoroughly and has acquired a very sound experience of meditation.
The meditator should see and relate to the instructor very often about his experience of the meditation. During the interview, the instructor can guide the meditator on the correct method of meditation. If the meditator is discouraged due to lack of progress, the instructor must give him some words of encouragement.
If such instructor is not available, then you must follow the guidance given here. Whenever you face a problem with your meditational experience you may leave a comment in this site or simply mail to me: sansayanchakma@yahoo.com
b) A firm determination:
Not all meditators have firm determination to achieve insight. With insight, the mental impurities of greed, hatred and ignorance can be uprooted. It is not an easy task to achieve these insights. Only meditators with firm determination will have the ability to attain mental purification.
c Good discipline:
For best results, it is recommended that one seeks training at a proper meditation center. From the time the lessons in meditation begin until a meditator leaves the center, he will have practically no time to attend to external activities.
Those who enter into a meditation center usually get up very early in the morning and practice meditation for many hours. This insufficiency of sleep, under normal circumstances, may affect the health of a person. But it does not affect the practicing meditator, because of his mental concentration.
d) Real honesty:
In describing his experiences to the instructor, the meditator must be truthful. He must tell only the facts, good or bad, which the meditator has definitely experienced. If he does not have mental concentration, or if he loses his confidence in meditation, he must reveal it. There are some meditators who have learnt about meditation either from others or from books. During the interview with the instructor, they may relate these facts as if they are their own. This kind of untruthful dealings must be avoided at any cost. If the meditator does not tell the truth to the instructor, the latter will not be in a position to help him. The meditator must relate only what he has experienced during meditation and not what he imagines he has experienced. He must therefore be able to examine himself mindfully.
e) Persistent diligence:
As has been pointed above, the task of uprooting desire, hatred, and ignorance is not an easy task. It requires unflagging effort, patience, strong determination, devotion and understanding of the real purpose of the meditation.
Click here to continue: Introduction to Vipassana meditation